1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a shield for mounting to a frying pan to prevent undesirable splattering of grease onto a stove top and adjacent surfaces.
2. Background Art
The problem of splattering grease onto adjacent cooking area surfaces can be solved by using a deep pot having side walls sufficiently high above a cooking surface for preventing the splattering grease for exiting the pot. Such is seldom an acceptable solution since the high side walls make it difficult and certainly inconvenient to use a spatula for turning the food or generally accessing the food cooking on the pot cooking surface.
Over the years, various devices have been developed along with alternate cooking methods for addressing the problem of limiting the undesirable splattering. U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,215 issued to C. W. Mayne discloses a vapor discharging frying pan cover formed to prevent the splattering of grease while providing for the inspection of the contents within the pan over which the cover is placed. The cover includes a vertical wall of circular curvature extending partially around the pan perimeter. A peripheral flange element dimensioned for engaging an upper edge of the frying pan extends along the wall lower edge. The flange is sufficiently wide for receiving various sized pans. At the upper end of the wall, a flat disc shaped top plate is affixed. Front vertical edges of the wall and top plate delimit an opening at the front of the cover to provide for escape of vapors and access to the cooking surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,611,510 issued to H. H. Willits discloses a grease shield for skillets having a shield body of resilient sheet metal and arcuately-curved about an interval of approximately 180 degrees, with a radius approximately the same as the radius of curvature of the skillet rim on which the shield is to be used. Tabs of U-shaped cross-section extend outwardly from the bottom edge of the shield body to receive the rim of the skillet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,614,718 issued to H. K. Loop discloses a pan shield having a base ring which is adapted to loosely engage within the frying pan while resting upon the pan cooking surface. Dome-shaped shield members are fixed to the ring and are pivotally mounted for exposing the cooking surface.